Tag Archive: trump care

For the average, run-of-the-mill guy, such as me, the political and national events that have taken place since the 2016 election have been quite a bit to follow. I have been through at least 8 elections since I was old enough to vote, so I have seen quite a bit of politics, and political theatre since then. I have also been around people long enough to be disheartened, if not downright scared of the divisions in this country.

What makes all of this worse, is the fact that everyone, on all sides of the political spectrum are like two people having an argument, and both are shouting at the same time. No one is listening, and that’s not to say that “listening” is the cure-all here, but, it’s a senseless way to be, and completely pointless. The winner of any of the political argument these days (if there is such a thing) is not one that presents the facts, makes their point, and persuades the other person the validity of their position; no, it is the side that yells the loudest. In this year, we have had a scandal-riddled presidency since day one, heck, since before Day One. But, what are the meat of these scandals. Are they real? Are they not? Does any one know what the facts are? I am not picking a side here, mainly because I don’t know what is right, who is right, and whatever. Is Trump acting, well, badly? Yes, he is. Are those that dislike him acting badly? Yes, they are. The problem is, it is so hard to separate what is real, and what is “Fake News” that many people like me walk around in a state of confusion trying to figure out if the next Washington Post “bombshell” is exactly that, or is it just another “I know a guy, who knows a guy, who knows a guy, who knows a guy, who knows a guy, who knows a girl, whose cousin’s wife’s sisters’s fiance knew someone who works in Washington and they saw something in a memo, but only read part of it.”

In any other place or time, something like that would not stand up to even the most cursory scrutiny. Making accusations based on a sliver of a rumor would anyone laughed out of anywhere, and their integrity seriously questioned. But, enough about the media, fake news, and the lot. It’s been covered enough, and quite frankly, I don’t want to wade through that.

Today, Senator John McCain came back to Washington to vote on the motion to move the GOP healthcare bill for debate. Vice President Pence had to break the tie.

And the left lost it’s collective mind. (Or, what was left of it)

What astounds me is the intellectual dishonesty from the Democrats. They were all over Twitter, and other media outlets talking about how now “people are going to die”.

Because of a debate?

It’s the same old tired rhetoric they have trotted out for the last two decades. They, the party of “We have to pass the bill to see what’s in it” are now accusing the Republicans of obfuscation. The whole thing is a joke, and the dishonesty from both sides is unreal. The party of “Repeal and Replace” has been acting like the party of “We’ll take out the things we don’t like….maybe”. They tried to repackage it, and rename it, and just keep the ACA in tact. None of which made any sense. But, now, the Republicans, by the slimmest of margins have moved their bill to debate. Progress? Maybe.

Nothing has been passed. Nothing. It’s being debated on, and we are a long way from passage of anything. Add to that, my Twitter feed (such as it is) as well as Facebook were full of people clamoring for a “single payer system”.

Let us examine that for a moment.

I am not here to argue the economics of it or anything like that, there are others out there who are far more qualified to analyse that than I am. I do not understand how anyone in their right mind would want a government agency in charge of one of the most personal things that we have as people. Our health. Why would anyone want to give control over how they are treated for an illness, or an accident, or a terminal disease even, to the government? What is it about someone, or a group of people that desires outside control of their lives? I find the calls for “single payer” is more indicative of what those who express that view, want for the rest of us. Not for themselves, necessarily, but for the rest of us. That elusive “them” or “the other guy” I go back a bit to one my earlier writings “What Do We Want? Tyranny! When Do We Want it? NOW!” from last summer, where I talked about how the various groups of people across the political spectrum want revenge against “them”. “Those people” whomever “Those people” may be. When they express the desire for this country’s medical system to be “run like Canada’s” I honestly think they haven’t given it much thought. So intent are they on implementing a system that would punish the rich, and tax to death everyone else, in other words punish “them”, they haven’t given much though to how it would affect themselves.

I am an independent thinker, I always have been. One thing that will get me angry, and desirous of picking a fight, is someone telling me what to think, how to think, or what to say. Or, even worse, someone trying to control my life. I am not talking about being told what to do at work by my boss. That is totally different. My job is something entered into willingly on my part, and the part of my employer. They pay me, I do the work I am assigned. Do I disagree, perhaps, with policies? Sometimes, but, in my disagreement, I come up with a solution to make it better. Maybe they listen, maybe they don’t, but they are paying me to do a job.

However, someone telling me what to say, or think, or telling me what I must believe is totally different. That is an imposition. A totalitarian government is not something that most of us enter into willingly. It is something that is imposed, something that is forced, and complying is mandatory, or punishment is handed out. That is where I bristle, that is when my back gets up. The thing about going to a single-payer system, is that it immediately becomes a politicized single-payer system. What you get treated for and for how long, or, if at all, is going to depend on your politics.

That should frighten any reasonable person. It should frighten anyone, in fact.

I can’t even conceive of anyone telling me that I cannot have an illness, or worse, one of my children cannot have an illness treated. That would make me insane. A person, not my doctor, but, a person from some government agency, a bureaucrat from a government agency is going to approve, or deny my treatment, based on how expensive it is, how many years I may have to live, and, yes, even my politics. In fact, I would gather, in a very short period of time, (about 5 minutes after the legislation is passed) it will be the only deciding factor.

That should frighten anyone, regardless of your political stance. Tyranny is not good under any circumstances. It doesn’t matter if it’s a right wing dictator, or left wing. The whole “If my side is doing it, its okay” argument is stupid, and pointless. No one should want someone from the government deciding if they get well, or get sicker, or even worse, if they live or die. I hear stupid arguments like “Well, if the GOP does single payer, it will at least get done right.”

What the hell does that even mean?

Neither side could do it right, and you cannot convince me otherwise. The best system we had in this country was the system we had prior to Obamacare. Don’t get me started on that. I know way, way too many people who, once they were forced to the exchanges were paying premiums that were higher than their mortgages in some ways, with unbelievable deductibles, and care that was so limited it was a joke. I don’t want to hear that god-awful abomination of a “health care plan” was a good thing. I know better, I know too many people, middle class people, who had to sell cars, and houses, and what not just to afford basic health care.

Yes, the previous insurance system in this country had it’s flaws, but, the fact is undeniable, it did work, and it worked for a large majority of Americans. Spare me the stories of over crowded inner city emergency rooms. Try to remember that the overcrowded emergency rooms were not the fault of the insurance companies, but, the fact that many of these people were on Medicaid, or it’s state-level equivalent. I am also not saying the over-crowded emergency rooms didn’t happen, I know they did, I was an EMT for a private ambulance service, and paid many a visit to hospitals and saw the overcrowded emergency rooms for myself. Yes, they were miserable, but, what is the solution? Let’s also remember, by and large, no one was turned away, and treatment was not denied. So,again, what is the solution. The fact is no one knows, but the politicians of this country seem to be willing to gamble with all of our lives in an effort to fix something that was never really broken to begin with.

The problem with single payer systems, is that those who advocate for one honestly believe that a single payer system is the only solution, and it is somehow magical, and will fix everyone’s problems. It is those people who tend to be the ones who advocate for it the strongest, and they are generally the ones who understand it the least. It is that lack of understanding that makes their arguments so untenable. Everyone of those who advocate for single-payer always point to Canada, or Sweden as an example of single payer success. Unfortunately they aren’t successful as their proponents wish they were.

Try showing someone who sings the praises of single payer success in Canada the following articles, and see how fast you are accused of showing them “Fake news”.

“Healthcare Wait Times hit 20 weeks in 2016: Report” 20 weeks. Can you imagine waiting 20 weeks for a procedure? A test? An MRI that might detect a disease process, but at 20 weeks might be too far advanced? I cannot even comprehend that. Follow that with this “Canada Has the Worst ER/Referral Wait Times of 11 Developed Countries“. Facts take no note of wishes, however, but that doesn’t deter the ‘governement-can-solve-everything’ crowd. This oft-quoted study by The Frasier Institute just adds more fuel to the fire. Now, if the average time from referral-to-procedure in Canada is 20 weeks, then, obviously there are those who get care sooner. At the same time there are those who get it later. Yes there are this who get treated sooner, but, that does not take away from the fact that on average, for any procedure, the average Canadian can expect to wait 5 months for it to be performed. Imagine going to the doctor. You, or a family member has an issue that cause the doctor concern, could you imagine waiting? If it is something serious (Cancer, etc) five months is an eternity.

Single payer makes no sense to me, neither did Obamacare, and so far, the the stuff being proffered by the GOP.

I don’t want a health care system run by the government. I want my doctor and I making medical decisions about me, or my family. Not some bureaucratic pencil pusher. I don’t want to have to wait months for a test or a procedure. I also don’t want the government telling me what to eat, or what is good for me, or bad for me. I also don’t want a judge, or a court, deciding when my life ends (if you think that won’t happen, Charlie Gard should be a wake up call for you) or if I have become “too expensive” and need to be put on an “end of life path”

I just want the government to leave me alone, and let me live my life the way I see fit. I also wish the same thing for everyone else.